Who Will Stay Loyal? | Rabbi Binyomin Finkel

Says the Mesillas Yesharim, that the main purpose of man’s creation was to perform Mitzvos and to withstand challenges. Hashem tests us so that we may withstand the challenges. What’s a Nisayon? Two meanings. One meaning, from the word ‘to test’. And it came to pass after these things that Hashem tested Avraham. Hashem tests us how loyal we are to Him. There is another meaning of Nisayon, Raise a banner to gather our exiles. One withstood a challenge, a banner to be displayed. He has ascended a level. Every challenge a person receives you must know that Hashem gives the power to withstand the challenge. You have the power. Take advantage of it. Where does the power come from? A. Torah learning. I created the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as its antidote. B. Prayer. And C. To run away from a challenge. If a person sees, for instance, policemen, many terrorists, he is going to shoot, why are you going there? Run away. Danger. If you see a challenge, run away. You see a place which can spiritually damage your eyes, run away. If you see a bad friend who causes you a spiritual decline, run away. Run away from a challenge. And then Hashem will watch over you. Even if, Heaven forbid, he falls, don’t give up. Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. You need to move on. It says in the Steipler's Letters, that the holy books describe in length the severity of the sin, but they didn’t elaborate on every virtue of every overcoming, because it was obvious. Every time one overcomes, no one can fathom his great merit and praiseworthy is he who adds on. Every time one withstood the challenge, he rose to greatness, rose higher and higher. If, Heaven forbid, he didn’t, he mustn’t despair, but he should strengthen himself for the next time. And Ben Hei Hei says, According to the effort is the reward. Everything, according to the pain, that’s how Hashem will pay the reward. And that’s what it says in Avot d’Rabbi Natan, It’s better to have one with pain than 100 without pain. A person, one overcoming, is like 100, without pain. Everything is important. Hashem considers all of the toil and all of the effort, in speech, in thought, in action, in everything. So much so, it says in the holy books that if one passed in the street and he overcame and he did not look, and he overcame forbidden thoughts and sights, he should pray, it becomes an auspicious moment, because Hashem has spiritual pleasure. Especially in this last generation, it’s the generation before the redemption. There is a lot of darkness in the world, a lot of darkness. Hashem tests us to see how much we are loyal to Him, until the end of the exile, until the redemption. The redemption will come. The prophet Malachi writes that Then you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked between one who serves Hashem and one who does not serve Him. They will see who’s righteous and who’s wicked, who serves and who doesn’t serve. Says the Chofetz Chaim, What else will they see? Not only who’s righteous and who’s wicked, who brought the redemption closer, who, Heaven forbid, did not. It is in every person’s hands to be one of those who bring the redemption closer. Praiseworthy are you, Israel, that you are the children of Hashem, and Hashem is happy with every labor, with every effort, with every toil and exertion, how important it is. It brings spiritual pleasure to Hashem. May we all merit to see the ultimate redemption and the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash, And may the Pasuk be fulfilled, And the glory of Hashem will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken. Speedily in our days, Amen.